Bidspirit auction | VOLOZHINER, CHAIM. His personal copy

VOLOZHINER, CHAIM. His personal copy of: Atzmoth Yoseph [novellae and discourses to Masechta Kiddushin] by Yoseph ben Yitzchak ibn Ezra. ff. 120. Interior lightly stained with expert repaired worming. Binding expertly repaired retaining original patterned front and rear covers. Sm. 4to. Fürth, 1767. Title page inscribed and signed by R. Chaim of Volozhin: לה’ הארץ ומלואה הק’ חיים בלא”א [בן לאדוני אבי] כמוהר”ר [כבוד מורינו הרב ר’] יצחק נר”ו [נטריה רחמנא ופרקיה] מוולאזין חוטר מגזע רפאפורט. “To the Lord is the earth and the fullness thereof; the humble Chaim, son of my master, my father, the honorable, my mentor, Rabbi Yitzchak, may the Merciful preserve and vindicate him, of the town of Volozhin; originating from the Rapaport dynasty.” This volume was personally owned and studied from by the revered R. Chaim of Volozhin. The volume has been carefully conserved and retains the original outer covers possessed when R. Chaim owned and studied from it. On the title-page R. Chaim Volozhiner writes in his hand, a fulsome ownership inscription (see above). It is notable that R. Chaim makes specific record of his connection to the noble Rapaport family. This is via the lineage of his mother, Rivka (d. 1780), daughter of R. Yosef HaKohen Rapaport, Av Beth Din of Piesk & Minsk. The Rapaport family was regarded by the Vilna Gaon himself, to be of particular, priestly privilege. It is likely that this is the only surviving Sefer, from which it is categorically clear, R. Chaim directly studied from. Sepher Atzmoth Yoseph is an invaluable reference work to assist with the study of Talmud Tractate Kidushin. It was composed by Yoseph ben Yitzchak ibn Ezra of Thessaloniki, a disciple of Shmuel de Medina. The first edition appeared in 1601; the present issue is the third edition (see Vinograd, Fürth 370). For an article written by Kikar Shabbat on this particular volume, see: https://www.kikar.co.il/actualy/209851 See also: http://www.hareidi.org/en/index.php/Chaim_Volozhin https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/volozhin/vol077.html https://www.geni.com/people/Reb-Chaim-Volozhiner/6000000003181980579